Legacy Backup Data Management with Index Engines & Dell EMC

Dell EMC has partnered with Index Engines to streamline management of legacy backup data. Backups are often used to archive long-term retention data (LTR) in support of legal and regulatory requirements. However, as backups age it is complex and expensive to access and retrieve the required data. Index Engines provides direct access to legacy backup data, as well as a migration path to move data of value to cloud storage for LTR. This solution reduces the cost of managing legacy backup data and provides a more effective platform for LTR data.

> Unlock Backup Data to Reduce Costs and Streamline Access

Tapes provide tremendous value when used for disaster recovery, however, as they cycle out of disaster recovery and transition to an archive to satisfy long-term retention requirements, they become expensive to manage and adds an unnecessary layer of complexity and risk to the data center.

Index Engines makes it viable for organizations with legacy tape stockpiles to manage them more cost effectively. Clients can ingest legacy backup catalogs, from multiple media servers and formats, into a single, unified search and reporting platform. This reduces the cost of maintaining and accessing legacy backup data. Index Engines also provides as-needed access to the legacy data, without the need for the original backup software. This allows for ad-hoc access to data in support of legal and compliance, or full migration of data of value to disk or cloud archives.

Top three scenarios to use Index Engines:

1. You want to migrate to a Dell EMC backup platform but need access to legacy data for legal and compliance

3. You want to stop using tape as an archive for long-term retention and avoid high fees from restoring data from tape.

> Technical Overview

Index Engines eliminate obstacles around the migration to a Dell EMC backup environment including NetWorker, Avamar and Data Domain by ingesting and managing backup catalogs (TSM, NBU and CommVault), allowing ongoing access to legacy tape data without the need for the original backup software.

Using the Index Engines' catalog engine, the backup catalog can be ingested from the legacy media server and managed moving forward with the Index Engines platform, enabling the legacy backup application to be retired. When specific user files or emails are required from legacy tapes, the catalog engine searches the catalogs metadata fields for responsive data.

Once the relevant data is located and the tape and the backup set identified, the catalog engine performs a deep scan inside backup including individual files and email, fully indexing the backup set, allowing for content to be searched and retrieved. Specific files and/or email within Exchange or Notes can then be restored from tape as necessary without the use of the original backup software.

What backup formats do you support?Index Engines supports all common backup formats including IBM TSM, Veritas NetBackup, Commvault, HP DP.

What can I search?Search can be on metadata, mailboxes, or full text content depending on the level of indexing that is purchased.

Do you support disk-based backups?Yes. Index Engines supports both tape and disk-based backups.

What types of files can be restored?Any files existing within the backup image can be restored.

Do you need the original backup software?No, it is not used for restoration and is not required for management and access to backup data.

What are the hardware requirements?Index Engines software requires a server connected to a tape library for access to the backup images.

How long does it take to migrate data from tape?This is dependent on the tape type (DLT vs LTO), type of data on tape, and the utilization of the tape. A custom project plan can be defined via an Index Engines consultant.

Can you index and restore from encrypted tapes?Yes, depending upon the manner in which the data was encrypted and how the keys are managed.

Where does the native data reside?Once native content is restored it resides in Index Engines' searchable repository where retention polices can be applied. Native files can also be extracted to disk for ingestion into existing corporate archives.

> Migration Services and Pricing

Index Engines provides a number of deployment and service options to make the migration process fit your budget, timeline and manpower.

Highlights include:

Flexible pricing that includes all bundled software and services needed